An Explorer's Journey
by Lily Silver-chan
Summary: A story about a person who travels the land of Hyrule long after the cycle of reincarnation ends.


**AN: So i didn't really think I would ever write anything more on this old account, but here I am. This was just a random idea I had to write about a person who visited Hyrule long after the events of Breath of the Wild, and I honestly have no idea where I'm going with this, but I'm just going to let it happen.**

The last thing I expected was to wake up to the sounds of screeching right next to me. Typically, my campfire was enough to ward off monsters in the night, but it seemed that a Bokoblin had been brave enough to venture close to me while I was asleep. Oh well, it's mistake. I bolted up off of my bedroll, threw aside my blanket, and drew my short sword out of its sheath. A quick slash was enough to take care of the monster, and it exploded in a puff of purple smoke. Breathing a sigh of relieve that I had survived the encounter, I resheathed my sword. The moon still shone brightly above me, but the adrenaline rush had chased the wisps of sleepiness from my body, so I started building the fire back up. I sat before the bright flame, relaxing in the warmth it provided and enjoying the peaceful night.

Hyrule Field was vast, I thought to myself as I looked across the empty space. I had seen most parts of it, but there was a certain mystery about the large expanse. Ever since I decided to venture out from my hometown, a part of me had been drawn to the possibilities it held. Much like the sailor's call to the sea, I felt a call to the land of Hyrule, a call to see it in all its glory. As I had ventured further, I had mostly seen ruins of once great towns, weapons and armor scattered about. Clearly, the land had suffered some kind of war, but that was long since past. Nothing I needed to worry about.

I had run into a few dangers along my travels. Early on, I had realized I had no skill or weapons to defend myself with. Sure, there were rusty swords here and there, but they broke easily, and they felt unfamiliar in my hands. My early days in Hyrule consisted mainly of sneaking past monster camps, then running for my life when I was caught. Eventually, I made my way to a town, to my relief. The people there were kind, and gave me the food and shelter I so desperately needed. A few of the older citizens had been involved in the war, but they would not speak of it. However, one woman was generous enough to provide me with some basic training to defend myself on the road. I stayed there for a few days, but ultimately became restless and moved on.

The same thing happened with the few other towns I visited. I would mark them on a map I started creating, stay for a few days, buy traveling supplies, then continue on. I did not know where my quest was leading me, nor did I particularly care. I was content to be merely a breeze, passively moving across the land. I learned much about Hyrule's history as I traveled; the people called Hylians had lived there for generations, ruling the land with a kingdom that was attacked again and again by an evil force which no one remembered the name of. This evil would be forced backward each time it arose by a princess and a hero, again and again until suddenly it stopped. These legends were passed down, but they were only seen as fairy tales by this point; none even were sure it had really happened. No matter, I loved a good story, and the people seemed happy to tell them, true or not. All that was left of the reality of those stories were warning of the few scattered monsters left in the land.

I continued my journey across the vast field in the center of Hyrule. A few days into my journey, I encountered something surprising. The ruins of a great castle stretched out before me, surrounded by a thick forest. It seems as though everyone has forgotten about it. I made my way carefully into the crumbling structure. I found a few traces of whatever royal family existed here long ago; a molding banner on the wall, a broken throne, a room at the top of a tower with an elegant bed and vanity. I found a journal in one of the drawers in this tower room, written by the princess. She was named Zelda, apparently a common name in the royal family, though no one knows why. She told of her adventures riding around the land, meeting with the people, learning to fight alongside the knights. As the diary went on and she got older, more of the entries voiced the pressure to learn to rule her future kingdom; her father would no longer let her spend her days roughhousing outside. Instead, she was confined to meetings and study, until the diary finally cut off the evening before her coronation. I will admit, I shed a tear or two for the sadness she expressed over her lost childhood, even though I knew she was long dead. I left the diary in its resting place, hoping the spirit of the last princess was happier than when she had left her diary.

I traveled north from the castle ruins, and I finally met the Zora people i had heard so much about. They welcomed me as a traveler, and were very hospitable. I even met their prince and princess; a pair of siblings that fought with each other playfully and invited me to dine with their mother, the queen. I thanked them, but declined as politely as I could. Eating with the royalty of such a large kingdom intimidated me, and I dined instead at a cozy tavern. I will say, the Zora have some very amusing drinking songs. Many are stories about their princes and princesses falling in love with outsiders and running away with them. It seem they have a history of this actually happening.

After a few days in Zora's domain, I continued on. On the road, I encountered a few very strange structures that resembled large metal insects. They had a head with a singular eye in it, on top of a dome shaped body that had legs sticking out of it. Most seemed to be in pieces, tucked away in the woods, the remnants of some lost civilization. As I was examining one of them more closely, it suddenly came to life in front of my eyes! A blue glow emanated from inside it and lit up the patterns on its body. The eye flickered to life, and the head turned toward me. I felt nervous, not sure if these things posed any threat, but all it did was stare at me. A soft hum came from deep within the chassis, sounding almost forlorn. After a few seconds, the eye dimmed, and the light within it died. Were these things alive? I wasn't sure, but my unease remained, and I thought it best to move on. On my way out, I picked up a weapon that had markings on it similar to the structures. As I held it in my hand, a large blade of blue light sprung out. Fascinated, I kept the weapon. I haven't used it, preferring my trusty short blade, but the glow does provide some comfort in the night, and the markings are fascinating to study. Perhaps I will donate it to some researcher of ancient technology if I encounter one.

Today I encountered a strange, but cute little creature. As I was walking through a stretch of woods, I heard an echoey giggle from behind a tree. I followed the sound, and encountered what appeared to be a little person made from wood. Their face with covered by a leaf, which had marking resembling a mouth and eyes. They seemed happy that I had found them, thinking somehow that I was playing a game with them. The little creature handed me a blue rupee, then waddled back into the woods. Well, I'm not one to refuse money since I do need to feed myself, but I still haven't the slightest theory as to why this being would give it to me. Perhaps one day I will explore deeper into the forest and see if I can find more of them.

My travels have been more or less uneventful for a few days, but I am just now getting a chance to write down one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I was in the northwest region of Hyrule when I came across a small, blue, glowing creature. I hopped away, and I carefully followed it. It led me to a clearing with a large pool of water, surrounded by more of the creatures. As I stared in awe, a larger blue creature appeared in the center of the pool. It resembled a horse, but it was unlike any horse I have ever seen. It was majestic, and I could not help but slowly start to approach it. It let me get almost close enough to touch it. I gazed into its eyes, and it gazed back. I could sense a great wisdom within the creature, and as it blinked at me, I knew that this being was old, probably older than the kingdom itself. It dipped its head at me, then galloped away and faded back to nothingness. I do not know exactly what I encountered, but I feel blessed to have met it.

I visited another new village today. It is quite small; only a few families live there, but it has a very friendly atmosphere. I still feel the call of adventure, but after meeting the lovely people here, i am beginning to feel at home for the first time in my life. I don't know, should I stay? Should I finally settle down? There is so much of Hyrule I have not seen yet, but does that really matter? Well, they have given me a spare room to stay in, so I will sleep on it for now.

It has been almost a month now, and I cannot find a reason to leave. Every day, I learn and practice cooking with a woman named Kara. She is married to a hunter named Leon, and they have two lovely children who spend all day playing in the woods and reenacting fairy tales. Sometimes, I heard them play out the old legends of the hero and the princess. I think perhaps my new life here can last. Maybe I will finally find the peace I never thought I needed, not from solitude, but from this community. I will give it some time. I will leave this journal alone for now, until I feel I need to write down my thoughts once more.

It has been about a year since I last wrote here. I could not ask for more; I have a cozy house, a warm bed, food and drink every day, and plenty of company. Yet, I cannot help but grow restless again. Lately I've been having nightmares about drowning, being pinned down by waves and suffocating until I cannot move. I wake up thrashing around in my bed; fortunately I am silent so no one worries. Still, I do not know what to do. I thought I could be normal for once, but it seems I am destined to be out on the road. Everytime I try and leave that life, I do not feel happy. Perhaps this place was only meant to serve as a resting point temporarily. I do not wish to abandon my friends, but it seems as though my spirit is forcing me to. Perhaps it is best if I do not tell them about my unhappiness here. It would only make them feel as though they failed me.

I will leave tonight.

What freedom I feel as I walk among the grass and trees once again! I do not know why I ever even wanted to stay in one place for so long. I feel as though I am taking my first deep breath after a year of hiding indoors! I even welcome the occasional monster attack, feeling the power flow through my muscles as I swing my sword. I still have that blue weapon from the ruins, I used it today after my old sword broke, and it is much more powerful than I expected. I think I will keep using it from now on. I am making my way north again; I have had to buy a warm coat from a passing merchant since it is starting to get cold. I haven't felt the cold in a long time, however, I do not mind it since it gets my blood flowing. Ah, to be traveling again, oh how I have missed this!

Today I encountered a Rito traveler like me. He was quite friendly, and even told me stories of his village. There is supposedly a giant bird that perches over them, and it is said that this is their guardian that will always protect them in a time of need. He says the statue hasn't moved in living memory, which is fine since no one has ever attacked them. I told him stories of my travels in exchange, including the being I met in the forest pool. He says that many think that it is some sort of deity, a protector of the forest in which it resides. That would explain the great wisdom and age I sensed from it. When I asked how he kept warm so far up north, he explained to me that his feathers have layers that keep his body heat in, which I found quite fascinating. I am beginning to envy his feathers, as it gets colder every day I travel. I would like to stop by his village and see this great bird; he gave me directions so I think I will begin to head there.

Disaster has struck me today. I encountered a strangely large group of Moblins, and I could not fight them off once they noticed me. I managed to get away, but I am bleeding severely from wounds inflicted during the battle. I do not wish to think about it, but I must be honest with myself. I do not think I will recover. I have bandaged myself up as best I can, but I think there is more internal bleeding. I am wracked with pain every time I move, and it is impossible for me to walk. Besides, I am so far away from any people that I would likely not make it far enough to get help. I will try resting for a bit, perhaps my wounds are more severe than I think.

I am in agony as I write this final message. Nothing has healed, and it only seems to be getting worse. I do not want it to end like this. I was supposed to see the world, to live out the rest of my days on the open road. I wanted to meet new people, to see old friends again. I wanted to try new foods, I would be happy to even have an apple pie or something of the sort before I die. Instead I have nothing; I am just hiding in a freezing cave as I slowly bleed out. The only comfort I have is that maybe someone will find my journal and get to see what I have done. Perhaps someone can hear the stories I have heard, see the sights I have seen. Looking back, I wish there was so much more I had recorded, like that bird I saw stealing a nut from another bird, or those wolves I managed to escape from by giving them meat. Every day I have spent exploring this great land has been a treasure I took for granted, and now they have come to an end. I did not want this journal to end on such a sour note, but I must record my last moments for the soul who happens to stumble across this. I would say to share my story with the world, but in the end, there wasn't much to it. I am just a different set of eyes gazing upon the same world you all see. Although, maybe someone will find those old castle ruins. Maybe someone besides me will read the words of the last princess, and she can be remembered as she deserves. Maybe I will meet her in the next life. I hope so, she sounded very nice. My hand is shaking so badly that I can barely write anymore. I will take off my coat and bandages in a bit to speed up my death, I do not want to suffer much longer. Goodbye world, I loved you very much for the time I was here.

 **AN: Sooo I didn't really mean for it to get that sad. Oh well. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, if anyone even reads this lol.**


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